Training in the Underworld crawled by, each day slower than the last.
Eventually, Rias approached me, no doubt hoping to smooth things over before the Rating Game. I didn't have to read her mind to know she was doing it for convenience, not conscience. The night before the match, she came to my room — and the moment I heard her knock, I could tell something was off.
"Umm, Kokonoe-kun, do you have a minute?" she asked through the door.
At least she knocked. I'll give her that much.
I let her in, a small, almost petty satisfaction flickering in me at the fact that I was the one deciding whether she could enter.
Funny how control feels different when you're already weighing a move against someone. I figured I'd base my next step on how this little conversation went.
If her answer satisfied me — good.
If not… well, I already had options. Let's see.
I motioned for her to sit at the edge of the bed. She obeyed without a word. I took the opposite side, putting space between us on purpose, then met her eyes head-on — steady, unblinking.
If she wanted to talk, she'd get no escape route from my gaze. That way I can properly read her intentions.
Rias sat down slowly, smoothing her skirt like she needed something to do with her hands. Her eyes darted to me once, then she looked away. She wasn't used to being the one on the defensive. Good.
"Kokonoe-kun…" she began, voice softer than usual. "I… wanted to talk about what happened in Nagano."
I stayed silent. Let her say her piece, it should be interesting enough.
She swallowed. "When I—when I struck you… it wasn't right. I let my emotions get the better of me."
No justification. No excuses. Just an admission. A start, I guess.
"And…" She hesitated longer this time, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her uniform.
"About the human girl who was with you in Nagano... Midorikawa Suzuka. Trying to erase her memories. I shouldn't have done that either. I know how it looked. I know how it made you feel."
My jaw clenched on instinct. "Made me feel?" I repeated, voice low. "You think this is about feelings?"
She flinched, but didn't back down. "I acted out of fear. Not just for myself, but for my peerage. For you too, even if it didn't seem that way." She exhaled shakily. "I am… sorry. Truly."
I held her gaze, searching for the cracks — the lies, the selfishness, the self-preservation. But for once, she wasn't playing the heiress card.
No posturing, no noble pride. Just a girl who knew she crossed lines she shouldn't have.
It almost disarmed me. Almost.
"Words are cheap, you know," I said finally. "Especially in the Underworld."
Her eyes lowered. "I know. And I intend to prove mine."
I leaned back slightly, but didn't ease the intensity of my stare.
Rias inhaled, slow and steady. She'd expected this — the scrutiny, the pressure. Maybe even the anger.
Good. Because I wasn't done with her yet.
"And you're doing this because you're sorry... or because you're afraid of what I'd do?", I asked nonchalantly.
Rias flinched. For a second, the façade cracked. I already knew the answer — I could read it in her eyes before it even reached her mouth.
Very well, then.
"…Both. I won't insult you by pretending otherwise.", she said after a while, breaking the silence.
Well, at least you were honest. That's a start.
I exhaled. I decided to humor her for a while.
"Look, I get it. I was reckless. From your point of view, Nagano had nothing to do with us, it's not in your territory or under your jurisdiction", I parroted with half-convinction.
You didn't even have control over your own territory, judging by how you let strays and Fallens roam around and wreck havoc...
Unless you wanted that shit to happen so me and Hyoudou could die and you could swoop in like some tragic heroine.
Me personally? I don't a fuck if that was your goal, but Hyoudou... I don't know if he'll forgive you.
"But... one, my friends are from Nagano and my mom works there. Two, even so, do I need personal reasons to do the right thing? And three, if I wasn't there, the city would be completely wiped off the map."
I paused, let it sink in.
"I know I put myself at risk. But honestly…?"
I shrugged.
"…I could hardly bring myself to care."
Rias was stunned. I wonder how much more should I reveal.
"…You're right. You didn't need a reason. You acted because no one else did. Because I didn't.", she sounded convinced about that but there was a question that nagged at her.
"And yet, I don't understand... why? Why do you have so little regard for your own life?"
Okay... I had no idea what expression I was making, but I was shocked. People usually try to fix me — not ask why I'm broken to begin with.
But she did. And out of all people I knew… the question I wanted to hear the most came from her.
I took a breath. Here goes nothing.
"Because I already died, Rias... twice."
She stared at me like I said spiders are tasty when you fry them.
"That moment where you tried to erase Suzuka's memories and she cried for you not to. I understood. Cause I'm the same. I'm a fucking reincarnate.", I thought I'd be able to say it calmly.
But somewhere down the line, my voice had raised in a way that shocked and frightened Rias.
She was silent for a good while. And then...
"...Why didn't you tell me?", she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"I mean, I could totally go ahead and say 'hi, Prez, I'm a loser from Romania who died and reincarnated into Japan, please take care of me' without sounding crazy", I said, rubbing my temples.
Rias stared at me like she was seeing a ghost. And, well, technically, I am one.
"…That's not what I meant," she whispered, shaking her head. "Kokonoe-kun… you were going through something that heavy and you were alone with it. And I—"
Her voice cracked, just a little.
"I made it worse."
Ok. I respect that. A lot of people made my life worse in my absurd, liftetimes stretched extistence, but no one had the balls to admit it to my face.
I shrugged, more of a peace offering than anything.
"You didn't know"
It's not like I let you know either way. Or like you're entitled to know. But, I'm starting to question that line of thought.
You believe you are, so your actions reflect that... in hindsight, my life woulda been easier if I was honest from the start.
And so would be yours. You claim to want to know everything about us, but hide things from us... Just like me.
We're two hypocrites forced to live with each other.
"But I—", she tried to continue but I cut her off.
"Look. It's not like I think you're good, or bad, or anything like that. You're just... rich and spoiled.", I shrugged.
Rias' eyes widened— her expression a mix of shock, offence and hurt. Like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Guess I'm the first to say it to your face, then.
"You know, Kokonoe-kun…" she exhaled, voice suddenly small. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't born a Gremory."
That caught my attention.
"I love my family. I really do. But… is 'Rias Gremory' all that I'm supposed to be? A name with a title stapled to it?"
I could see her fingers clenching into fists at the hem of her skirt, knuckles whitening. Then she lifted her head — eyes steady, flashing with that pride she always flaunted.
"I just want to be myself," she shouted.
And for the first time, I could see the weight of the years she lived up to expectations slipping past her control. The frustration she was always hiding behind her proud attitude.
Without thinking, I grabbed her hands.
Rias froze for a heartbeat, then her fingers wrapped around mine, a bit hesitant.
"Kokonoe-kun…" she whispered. Neither embarrassed, nor pulling away. Just shocked.
I leaned in slightly, enough that she couldn't look anywhere but at me.
"Then turn this curse into a blessing," I said. "Raise your name so high people have no choice but to see you — not the heiress, not the Gremory, not the expectation. Just you."
I let the words settle between us.
"You've got every tool, every chance, every advantage to make that happen."
I squeezed her hands once before letting go.
"And you damn well know it."
Rias exhaled softly, finally letting go of my hands. Her gaze lingered on me for a long, unspoken moment, like she was weighing the words I'd thrown at her.
I didn't know what she was thinking, and for once, I didn't try to guess.
The room settled into silence, the kind that carries its own weight.
I leaned back against the bedframe, letting my hands fall to my lap. I thought about it, forgiving her. Hell, maybe I already have.
I decided I won't act against her... but if fate had its own lesson to deliver, who was I to interfere?
I left her with a hint, a sliver of hope. How she used it… well, that wasn't my concern.
(scenebreak)
And, just like that, days turned to hours before the "big fight". I wasn't in the mood for this, but... if everything goes according to the plan, tomorrow I'll be free. Or I'll be dead. Either works, to be honest.
I caught my reflection in the mirror. Rias said we should wear the Kuoh Academy uniform, to look more formal for the occasion. "We're the Occult Research Club, so we should"... Yeah — no. I wasn't invested enough to pretend I was part of their little school spirit parade.
If anything, I'd rather wear the male uniform of Matsumoto High. But that woulda been a tribute taken too literally. Suzuka and Haruka actually attended that school, before Nagano succumbed to its destruction.
Then again, I hated Japanese school uniforms. Uniforms in general, but in Japan you actually have to wear them. Romania never forced me into that nonsense.
For a second — a dumb second — I even thought about wearing a Romanian traditional suit. Something from home. But the image of showing up to a high-stakes supernatural duel dressed like I was attending a folk festival made me cringe.
So I settled for something older than any identity I had built since reincarnation. Something from the era before everything fell apart.
A Slipknot shirt with the Gray Chapter logo. A black leather jacket and some black cargo pants. New Rocks boots I totally paid for (sic!)... side note: Japanese malls should tighten security, on the real.
The outfit was completed by spiked bracelets biting into both of my wrists, and a pentagram hanging on my chest.
If I was going to walk into a battlefield, this was the closest thing I had to armor. The most "battle" outfit I could think of.
My reflection in the mirror looked absolutely ridiculous — a "Japanese high schooler" in a full metalhead outfit. I tried to bite back a chuckle... and I failed.
It broke into full-blown laughter.
Before I could dwell on that thought, I heard a knock in the door, faint, the kind of sound only one person I knew could make.
"Come in," I said, almost instinctively.
Whatever Koneko wanted (and I had an idea of what she wanted), she froze when she actually saw me.
"Senpai, you look…", She trailed off, clearly unsure how to finish that sentence.
"Ridiculous? Like Kento Yamazaki and Corey Taylor had a baby that fell on its head at birth?"
I'm so funny. Kill me.
Then, in that moment, a miracle happened. The ever stoic Koneko laughed. A small one, but it took me aback.
Eh? Was what I said that funny?
"You're impossible", she smiled, almost fondly.
"Im not even trying", I smirked.
Then, her expression went back to that calm, surface-level emotionless look, but I caught a flicker of something in her stare. Uncertainty, maybe.
"Senpai, that kiss..."
She drifted off, like just talking about it was making her feel guilty.
Before she could finish, I stepped in front of her and ruffled her hair the way I always did. She blushed quietly.
"Don't worry about it.", I said, trying to sound relaxed. Yeah, we're better off pretending it didn't happen.
That seemed to ease her worries. Her shoulders dropped. I thought that was the end of it... but suddenly, Koneko's arms wrapped around my stomach.
I hugged her back. And that hug seemed final. Or maybe not.
Maybe it was like a quiet plea: don't leave me.
Don't worry. I won't.
(scene break)
And then, the match began.
We gathered behind the old school building of Kuoh Academy at around 11:40 p.m.
Because apparently, Rating Games and WWE have one thing in common: stupidly late scheduling.
Whatever.
Everyone was getting into position, looking way more relaxed than the stakes deserved. To my surprise, Asia was the only one not in uniform—she wore her nun outfit like she was about to bless the battlefield instead of heal it.
And then the entire group caught sight of me.
"Ehhhh?! Why is Kokonoe NOT wearing the school uniform?! And what's with that look?! Bro, you look like you came straight from a Knotfest!"
I raised an eyebrow.
I'm surprised you even know what Knotfests are, Hyoudou.
Akeno tittered behind her sleeve.
"Ara ara~ I had no idea Kokonoe-kun preferred that kind of style. Fufufu… you look rather intimidating tonight~"
Kiba gave me that polite knight-smile of his, the kind that says he won't comment but he's definitely judging.
"I must admit… it's a bold look," he said diplomatically. Translation: Rias, why is your peerage associating with this creature.
Speaking of Rias—
Her eye twitched.
Just once, but enough to tell me she was absolutely questioning every life choice that led her to this exact moment.
"Kokonoe… I don't even know where to begin," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "The dress code exists for a reason."
"Seeing that Argento-chan is wearing a nun outfit, I'm guessing it's an exception based on favoritism?", I clapped back.
She exhaled again. That was her fourth one today. New personal record.
"Fine, have it your way..."
She was too tired to argue. Good. So was I.
And then—
Koneko looked at the others, then at me, then shrugged.
"…You get used to it," she said flatly.
Rias visibly choked on air. So did Hyodou, but his reaction was louder.
"Used to—?! Koneko-chan, what do you mean used to it? How many times has he—"
"I just saw it once... and that's too many times," Koneko muttered, completely done with life.
I rolled my eyes.
"Tsk. Japanese people. Always quick to judge, always slow to understand stylistic variety"
Hyoudou pointed at me like a confused Pokémon trainer.
"BRO, WHAT STYLE IS THIS EVEN?! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU JAPANESE PEOPLE? YOU'RE JAPANESE TOO!"
No, I'm fucking not.
Well — technically I am. On paper. In this life. In this body. But the moment Nelu landed in Bucharest and dragged me into the mess that ended with my reincarnation, my "performance" of a Japanese identity cracked like cheap plaster.
Akeno giggled, angelic and sinful all at once.
"Kokonoe-kun's style," she purred. "Obviously."
Rias just dragged a hand down her face.
I actually barked, and raised my palm.
"Are we done with this conversation or do I need to pick the person I'll shoot first? I'm leaning towards Hyoudou as it stands."
"Ehhhh?? Why me?!?"
"'Cause you're the loudest. Moron.", I clapped back.
That shut him up real quick.
Everyone else just… stood there. Faces locked on awkward smiles. Foreheads dripping with sweatdrops. The whole anime reaction pack.
A universal ahh… right, this is just how he is moment.
Finally. They were starting to understand my dark humor. Or at least accept that I wasn't serious enough to actually pull anything.
Baby steps. Today's unspoken lesson from your reincarnated life-experience teacher: the difference between harmless intimidation and genuine threats.
Maybe now they'll stop flinching every time I open my mouth.
Asia, bless her pure soul, clasped her hands together — maybe thinking she could purify the mood by sheer optimism.
"K-Kokonoe-san looks very cool…! It suits him!"
Hyoudou stared at her like she had just personally betrayed the Vatican.
"Yeah. A nun complimenting a metalhead on his looks… I officially lived too long," I muttered.
I waved a hand in her direction.
"For the record, I think you look pretty in that outfit. Like Mother Teresa descended upon us from the Heavens. Amen."
Asia flushed scarlet… then smiled so radiantly I felt like I needed sunscreen.
"Thank you, Kokonoe-san. Amen."
CRACKLE—!!
Light flared around her like a taser went off.
"Ow!!" Asia yelped, jerking back as devil magic smacked her for saying a holy word.
I blinked.
Wait. I said Amen too.
I waited two seconds. Three. No holy migraine. No divine zap. Nothing.
What the hell?
That… shouldn't be possible.
Akeno's smile faltered.
"…Ara? Kokonoe-kun didn't—"
Kiba's eyes narrowed just a fraction.
Koneko's ears twitched, but there was sadness in her expression rather than shock.
Even Rias turned fully toward me.
That quiet, heavy silence devils make when something violates the rules they're built on.
I forced a shrug.
"What? Half of you say 'Jesus Christ' during exams. Thought we were past this."
Nobody laughed.
And that made it worse.
I forced my face into a blank stare, but internally, my mind was racing. If there was even a chance—just a faint, ridiculous possibility—
Rias talking about the Evil Piece.
That rotten-tooth ache I'd had ever since Săcele.
It all clicked together in a way I could have never even hoped for.
The Evil Piece is shattering.
And if that's true…
Maybe I'm not a Devil anymore.
Ha.
Right.
Funny joke.
Even thinking it felt stupid. But the logic was there. No zap. No weakness. That internal decay. Like something peeling away from my soul cell by cell.
Still, if the best-case scenario is staring me dead in the face, it's not like I gain anything by sabotaging Rias now.
If anything this isn't my fi—
…No. Let's be honest.
The way Riser talked about Nagano?
Like it was gossip. Like it was trivia.
Like the massacre was just another news headline he didn't bother to read fully.
I wanted to make him suffer for that. For his smug flexing in front of Hyoudou. For existing with that irritating, aristocratic self-satisfaction.
So yeah. I'll fight.
Not for Rias.
Not for honor.
Not for Devil politics.
For Koneko.
I promised her I'd stay by her side. And I'm going to keep that promise.
No matter what I am when this is over.
Just like that, all the heavy pre-fight tension evaporated—replaced by confusion, disbelief, and the slow, dawning horror that yes, this is the guy they're dragging into a Rating Game.
Unfortunate...
Anyway.
Hyoudou suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Wait—hold on! If Asia is here… where's the other Bishop? Buchou has two, right?"
Right. That question.
From what Koneko told me after I confessed I was a reincarnate from Romania, the second Bishop was… a half-vampire. A dhampir who hides in a box.
Gasper Vladi — that was his name.
I'd pressed her with more questions, and that's when I learned the fun part: apparently dhampirs are discriminated against by pure-blooded vampires.
Even across worlds, even in the supernatural, even among beings who literally drink blood and fight gods…
Romania still finds a way to be the same racist shithole it's always been.
And the irony?
At the time of my death, twelve million Romanians lived outside the country, scattered across Europe and beyond, looking for something better.
Nineteen million remained inside. Twelve million outside. More than a third of the population.
My own family among them, chasing a better life in Hungary.
And me? Left alone in Brașov, grinding like a TikTok slave just to keep the lights on and pretend that counted as a future.
Clinging to a diabetic grandma, to my Hungarian uncles, to a bunch of friends I shared nothing with except bad habits and worse coping mechanisms.
The life of a half-breed who could neither belong to Romania, nor to Hungary.
And now I'm one of those twelve million scattered Romanians — lucky or unlucky enough to get reincarnated into a supernatural Japan.
Sometimes I can't even tell if I'm in an anime, an alternate world, or some cosmic joke that won't explain its punchline.
Lately, it doesn't even matter.
The memories hit fast — too fast.
I shoved them down.
This wasn't the time. And it sure as hell wasn't the place to start drowning in the past.
Hyoudou blinked, completely unaware of the sociopolitical tragedy he had just reminded me of.
Rias stiffened. Kiba looked away. Akeno's smile dimmed.
Koneko just sighed like this was all painfully routine.
"Unfortunately, the other Bishop can't participate," Rias said, slipping back into her official tone. "There will be a time when I explain that… but not now."
So they were hiding the Romanian kid from me.
Smart move, ain't gonna lie. Put a half-vampire with time-stopping powers next to me and there's a non-zero chance we'd overthrow the Romanian government by accident.
Romania, but actually functional.
What a fantasy.
Still… if I could learn more about vampires from this kid, that would be useful.
The vampires in Săcele came to my rescue when the Oblivion Syndicate ambushed me — or at least, they let me go.
Why?
That question still lingered in the back of my mind, like a thorn I couldn't pull out.
Either way, if I ever wanted to understand what happened that night — if I ever wanted a real path back home — getting close to this dhampir kid wasn't optional.
It was necessary.
But that was for later. Because right now—
It was starting.
Grayfia Lucifuge appeared before us, silver hair glinting beneath the moonlight, her presence sharp enough to silence all of my thoughts.
"It's about time," she declared, voice clear and commanding, "Everyone, please head to the magic-circle."
Right. Time to focus.
It's showtime.
We moved toward the circle with the kind of urgency only Grayfia could inspire.
"Also," she added, looking over us with that generic professional calm, "once you are transported, you cannot use the magic circle again until the Rating Game has concluded."
Yeah, figures. Not that it matters to me — I barely have enough demonic power to spark a cigarette, let alone make a magic circle.
A flash of light followed.
And just like that, we were standing inside the Occult Research Club room.
Hyoudou and Asia were looking around like the teleportation glitched halfway. Everyone else seemed unfazed, which told me enough: this wasn't the real school.
Just a replica for the main event.
Even Rias wasn't irresponsible enough to host a supernatural battle royale on actual Kuoh Academy grounds.
Then, a voice cracked through the speakers.
[Hello, everyone. I am Grayfia, maid of the House of Gremory, and today I will serve as the arbiter for the Rating Game between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex.]
Well, that's one voice I never thought I'd hear on a school broadcast.
[In the name of my master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be supervising this match. By combining the preferences of both Rias-sama and Riser-sama, we have created this battlefield—a replica of Kuoh Academy, the school Rias-sama attends in the human world.]
Yeah. Called it. Where's my prize?
[The location where both teams were transported will be their base. Rias-sama's base is the Occult Research Club room, located in the old school building. Riser-sama's base is the Student Council room, located in the new school building. For Pawns to use promotion, you must reach the enemy base.]
What a chess game.
I can't pretend I like chess, but I do love a challenge.
And… it seems like I have to reach the Student Council room — located in the far corner of the top floor of the new school building.
With Hyoudou in tow. Against a squad of sex slaves. Great.
I don't know about the pervert, but I'm promoting to Queen the moment I get there.
Yeah, yeah — gender irony, whatever. It's the strongest piece on the board.
Besides… it'll be the perfect chance to see how far I've actually come. To see what my "full power" even looks like in this world.
We had to be careful with Riser's bitches, though.
Eight Pawns promoted to Queen and our asses would be as fried as the yakitori nickname Hyoudou found so "fitting" for that aristocratic fuckboy.
"Everyone, please put this transceiver in your ears."
Akeno's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Rias followed her lead, slipping the device in with that calm, rehearsed elegance only a noble can pull off.
"At the battle, we'll use this to communicate with each other," she added.
Yeah, no shit.
What were we gonna do, yell across the battlefield like cavemen?
"First, we have to take down Raiser's Pawns. It will be troublesome if they all promote into Queen."
Rias says it calmly from the sofa — too calmly, considering we're minutes away from the fight that decides her fate.
Akeno pours tea like this is a homeroom break.
"B-Buchou, you seem pretty calm…" Hyoudou mutters.
"Ise," she replies, "the battle just started. Rating Games rarely end quickly. You must use the battlefield to its fullest. This time, our stage is the school. Yuuto."
Kiba unrolls a map of the academy. It was organized like a chessboard, each territory marked, strategies outlined in clean red circles.
Rias circled the old building — our base — then the new one.
"The forest near us is our territory. The new school building is Raiser's. It's likely there will be an ambush when you enter."
Hyoudou points at the sports field. "So we have to go through there?"
"Normally, yes," Rias says. "But he'll expect that. He'll station a Knight and three Pawns to control the whole sports ground."
In other words: walking straight in would be suicide.
Not that I'm unfamiliar with suicide.
I survived Nagano.
Compared to that, this is just cardio with a death theme.
If anything, it feels like a challenge.
"Alright."
I stepped out in front of the old school building with Koneko and Hyoudou beside me. We were the trio assigned to the gym route — small, silent, and loud, in that order.
Rias called from behind, "Okay then, Ise, Koneko, Kokonoe. You won't be able to avoid the battle once you get into the gym. Move accordingly like we discussed. That location will be an important place."
"Roger that, Prez", I said. Haven't called her that in a long time, now that I think about it.
Koneko nodded. "Yes. I will."
Hyoudou pumped his fists. "Yeah! I can't retire without even using promotion!"
Good for him. Personally, I planned on walking out of the gym in one piece, preferably with a few of Riser's Pawns hitting the floor in my place.
"Then I'll go as well."
Kiba adjusted his sword.
"Move according to plan."
"Roger that."
Asia stayed with Rias, ready to heal if needed. Losing her would mean instant defeat, so protecting her and the President were the priorities here.
"Akeno, strike when the moment's right."
"Yes, Buchou," Akeno replied, calm and confident. Her move could decide the battle.
Kiba would hold back Riser's Pawns, Akeno would focus on the enemy Queen, and me, Koneko, and Hyoudou advanced together—straight into whatever trap Riser had waiting for us.
We had to enter from the other door—opposite side of the gym. I turned the knob. It opened without resistance.
Not locked.
Even from here, the gym looked real. Same layout, same shine on the polished floor, same faint echo in the air. Kuoh Academy's old building too—every detail copied perfectly. I wouldn't have doubted it if someone told me later, "Yeah, the match happened in the real school."
We stepped onto the backstage platform. The curtain was up, so the entire court lay exposed before us.
I tried to scan the floor—angles, distances, escape routes, the basics—but Koneko's quiet voice cut through my focus.
"…Presence. Enemy."
Before I could answer, a loud voice rang out from the court.
"We know you're there, servants of Gremory! We watched you come inside!"
A woman's voice.
Riser's servants.
Alright. No point hiding now.
We walked out onto the court with purpose. Four female Devils waiting for us.
4 vs 3—not the worst odds. I'd been in worse. Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
I glanced at Koneko. She met my eyes with that faint resolve of hers—steel wrapped in cotton. I gave her a wink.
"Go get 'em, tiger."
"…I will, Senpai," she murmured, cheeks slightly pink.
Hyoudou, naturally, was already ogling the girls like he'd stumbled into heaven.
This fight was going to end quick. Poor things.
I checked the lineup:
—The woman in the red china dress
—The blue-haired girl holding a staff
—The twin green-haired lolis glaring daggers at Hyoudou
He looked horrified. Understandably.
From the briefing, I remembered the roles:
China dress = [Rook]
Twins = [Pawns]
Stick girl = also a [Pawn]
Three Pawns and a Rook… versus our two Rooks and a Pawn.
Nelu stirred inside me, coiled and restless, ready to burst out if things turned ugly. But these were women—Hyoudou's intimidation factor was enough on its own. I wasn't worried.
"Boosted Gear, standby."
[Boost!!]
The echo of the Sacred Gear filled the gym.
I let Hyoudou and Koneko take the lead. Out of four, at least one was definitely going to come for me.
"…I will leave the Pawns to you two, Kokonoe-senpai, Ise-senpai. I will take care of the Rook."
"Roger that."
"Yeah!"
Koneko stepped forward, posture sharp, already squared against the china-dress woman in her kung-fu stance.
And the blue-haired girl tightened her grip on her staff—eyes locked on me. Her aura practically screamed weakest in her peerage. I almost felt bad.
Is Riser taking me as a joke that badly?
Fine. I had a little something prepared for his arrogant ass. He'd love it.
Probably.
Hyoudou charged the twins with murder in his eyes.
I inhaled, centered my weight.
Okay. Let's see if we can do better than the Romanian national team in every major qualifier.
The girl—Mira—didn't waste a second. She revved her staff and lunged, swinging down with a roar of sparks and teeth.
I ducked under the swing. My foot slid forward and snapped upward, kicking the staff from her hands. It spun across the floor with a screech.
"You're full of openings," I said with a yawn I didn't even bother hiding.
Mira clicked her tongue in frustration.
Before she could recover, I flicked two fingers and conjured an icicle and aimed straight for her face. She dodged at the last moment, but it grazed her cheek and cut a thin red line.
Perfect.
The cut on Mira's cheek glimmered. A warning. She stared at me with genuine fear now, hands trembling around her staff, which I let her pick from the floor so she'd give me a fight.
I smirked. "Ready for round two?"
She didn't answer—she just leapt back, staff raised defensively.
Smart.
Hyoudou, meanwhile, was going feral.
The twins charged him at once, green-haired gremlins shrieking threats.
And in response—
"Dress Break!"
A flash of red light. Two screams. Two sets of clothes exploding into cotton confetti.
The twins hit the floor, covering themselves and crying in perfect stereo.
Hyoudou flexed dramatically, nose bleeding.
The poor bastards never stood a chance.
"Ahahahahaha! How's that!? This is my technique! And the name of it is Dress Break!", he shouted proudly.
I had to admit… results were results.
"You are the worst! You are the enemy of every woman!"
"Beast! You sex fiend!"
The chainsaw twins starts to bad mouth Hyoudou, tears in their eyes. Yeah, I had a feeling. Like I said, the match will be over in seconds.
"...I misjudged you."
Koneko gave him a disgusted glare. And speak of the devil, she was really holding her own in the fight.
Xuelan lunged toward her, a perfect martial artist's form. And Koneko met her kick with a palm strike so clean it echoed.
Xuelan slid back, shocked.
Koneko didn't even move her other hand out of her pocket.
"...Too slow."
Then she blurred.
A white streak.
One punch.
Xuelan fell to her knees, which is all it took Koneko to pin her on the ground and place her in a chokehold.
Good girl.
Now back to the blue-haired problem in front of me.
Mira steadied her staff, sweat beading on her forehead.
"I—I won't lose!"
"Oh, honey," I sighed, "let me break it to you... you already did."
I snapped my fingers.
Cold surged through the air as five large icicles materialized above me—jagged, humming with mana.
Mira gasped. "W-Wait—!"
I fired them like missiles.
They shot forward with a sonic crack, leaving streaks of frost in the warm gym air.
Mira spun her staff, forming a defensive barrier of green mana, sparks bursting as she tried desperately to shield herself.
Crack!
The first icicle shattered her defense.
[CRACK! CRACK!]
The next two smashed through the staff's aura.
Her eyes widened.
The last two hit her squarely—one in the stomach, one across the ribs—exploding on impact and sending her skidding across the court, breath knocked out of her.
She crumpled, unconscious before she stopped sliding.
A light pillar swallowed her.
Retired.
I dusted my hands.
"Riser, when this recording hits your desk," I murmured, "feel free to cry."
Hyoudou whooped from across the gym, stepping over the defeated lolis.
Koneko stood calmly over Xuelan's fallen form, hair only slightly ruffled.
And me?
I looked across the room at the exit leading deeper into the Rating Game arena.
"Alright," I said, tapping my foot on the polished floor. "Next round."
And then, it happened.
A sudden bang cracked through the air nearby.
I snapped toward the source—
but Hyoudou moved faster.
"...K-Koneko-chan!" he shouted, voice breaking as he bolted past me.
In the next heartbeat, I focused—just a fraction of a second—and caught Koneko before she hit the ground, smoke rising from her small frame. Her uniform was torn, her breathing shallow. She looked defeated.
A surge of anger flared through me.
My eyes tracked the blast's origin—and there she was. That voluptuous witch who'd been licking Raiser in the clubroom.
Good. She just made herself the next target.
"Fufufu. When you hunt a prey, the best time to strike is right after they accomplish something. That's when they're most vulnerable. We can sacrifice piece after piece if it means taking down one of you. Your group is already small—each loss is crippling. Even if you beat us, you can't defeat Raiser-sama. It's useless to resist."
God—she talks too much.
"Will you just shut the fuck up?" I snapped, impulse overtaking thought as I shaped a blade of ice—curving it into a boomerang—and hurled it at Yubelluna.
She dodged, then laughed. "Was that supposed to—"
—only for the boomerang to curve back and slam into her spine. A streak of blood burst from her back as she dropped to one knee, breath knocked out of her.
"Serves you right," I muttered.
Then I turned back to Koneko.
"...Senpai… I'm sorry… that's all I could do…" Her voice trembled, fading with every word.
"You did more than enough", I replied solemnly.
And then, like a candle dying in fog, Koneko dissolved into mist.
After that, I lost track. Akeno told me to leave Yubelluna to her and, to be fair, I had no objection. I had only one goal. Him.
Besides, Akeno got defeated anyways. Serves you right, I guess.
We met up with Kiba and then the three of us took out Riser's remaining Pawns before Yubelluna took Hyoudou and Kiba out.
"I've been meaning to pay you back for what you—", she said when she faced me.
I DON'T CARE. SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Ice formed in my hand instantly—shaping itself into the rough outline of a gun. I pulled the trigger again and again, each shot a razor-cold bullet that punched through her skin, tearing holes through her body faster than she could channel her magic.
[Raiser Phenex's Queen retires]
Take that.
And then... The battlefield faded into static as he stepped forward.
Riser Phenex. Untouched. Smirking like he'd already won.
"Well, well," he said, looking me over like a wounded stray. "Your team is gone, and you can barely stand. Just surrender. I have no interest in crushing weaklings."
I stood my ground. His smile twitched—just a bit.
"Oh? Still resisting?" He scoffed. "How adorable."
Phoenix fire gathered in his palm, heat distorting the air between us.
"Kokonoe Takashi," he drawled. "You should have stayed down."
My fingers tightened, frost sparking at my wrist. His eyes narrowed.
But I met his gaze anyway. No fear. No flinching. Just ice.
The space between us snapped—fire against cold, his arrogance against every rage I'd kept buried.
And just like that, the real fight began.
I moved first.
The ice dagger flashed in my hand as I lunged, aiming straight for Riser's throat.
He ducked effortlessly.
My blade sliced air.
Riser stepped in with a mocking grin and drove his fist into my ribs—fire exploding across my side. I gasped but swung again, ice coating my arm as I aimed a backhand slash.
He parried it with a burning forearm, the heat biting into my skin.
"You're fast," he said, almost amused. "But not fast enough for Riser."
He shoved me back, flames bursting from his palm. I dodged the blast by inches and closed the distance again, driving my knee toward his jaw.
He caught my leg mid-strike.
And twisted.
Pain shot up my side as he slammed me into the ground, fire licking my clothes. I rolled away, gathering cold in my hands, forming another blade, swinging upward—
Riser tilted his head and let it pass by, his smile widening.
"Wild," he murmured. "Desperate."
He grabbed my wrist before I could retract it and squeezed. Hard. I felt bones creak.
Then his knee drove into my stomach, knocking the breath from my lungs and sending me skidding across the floor.
Riser straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his coat.
"Stop struggling," he said calmly. "You can't win."
And then, the relentless attacks began. Each punch to my stomach burned with that same fire I'd always hated. Before long, I was coughing up blood.
I dropped to my knees, the world shaking around me. And in that split second, I saw it all. I saw the jeers, the laughter, the fists from kids twice my size. Memories from my first middle school resurfaced, unwanted. My face against the locker. My own voice, too scared to fight back.
"You've always been weak anyway."
The memory sneered at me — my kid self, staring back with those same sad eyes that always seemed to beg for death.
Something rose within me: anger, burning inside me ever since those days I was too weak to defend myself. Too weak to fight. Who the fuck decided that's my fate?
I will be your deadman, with nothing but this blood on my hands. Stuck in your wonderland, I wanna make you bleed just like me.
I spat blood into the dust, as bitter as the blood and anger leaking from me. The world narrowed to one line: him. Riser's smirk was a blade. So I gave him one back.
My palm froze, pain and motion turning into something clean. Ice coalesced between my fingers, colder than anything I'd ever felt — not the pretty crystal tricks, but the kind of cold that eats warmth. I shaped it with everything I had left: a dagger, thin and cruel, edges like nothing human should hold.
But the blade wasn't enough. I wrapped it in a poison I made during my escape to Romania — various poisonous herbs and mushrooms, mixed with LSD, cocaine and 3MMC. It wasn't instant death; that wasn't the point. This was designed to turn healing into punishment. To make regeneration repeat the wound, fold it inward, let the body chew itself in a looping curse.
He lunged. I lunged harder.
The dagger slid between armor and skin. Warmth burst, a hot ribbon against cold. I shoved until the tip vanished inside him. Riser's eyes widened that split second — surprise, pain, fury — and then the world answered with the sound of his own body trying to put itself back together.
At first, I thought it worked the way I planned: flesh knitting, scars bridging, a shimmer of regeneration. Then the poison kicked. The wound reopened like a mouth that wouldn't stop screaming. Flesh sealed, then split again. Regrow, rot, regrow, rot. He staggered, a puppet jerked by threads of his own cells, convulsing on a loop of agony that wasn't supposed to be possible for someone with his gifts.
He tried to roar, to burn, to tear the world down — and each scream only fed the cycle. The poison didn't kill him. It made him relive the kill. Healing became torture.
For a moment I felt like a god. Vengeance was a small, cold thing, sliding warm and slick into another man's chest.
Then Riser tore himself free — not healed, but furious and raw — and his fist found my stomach like the end of the world. Pain exploded. Everything went white at the edges. My vision jagged. I tasted metal and snow and something old, the thing I thought I'd buried.
And then, I felt it. There was no denying it anymore, the part of me that kept fracturing ever since I saw my kid self in Săcele... was my Evil Piece. When Raiser's fist slammed into my stomach, it broke. One last time.
My vision was getting blurry. Still, with the blood that was threatening to leak from my mouth, I spit in his eye, catching him off guard.
Then, the last of my strength, I formed a dagger of ice and slashed his face. A white light engulfed me then.
I guess I can at least die as myself.
______
[Suzuka POV]
At the funeral… he didn't face us. He stood there with his back turned, like even the wind might've hurt him if he looked our way.
I kept wondering why — but deep down, I knew.
Maybe he could feel it...
That tiny, rotten piece of me that blamed him.
It was ugly. I hated myself for it. I kept trying to swallow it down with the tears, but it wouldn't stay buried. It kept clawing its way back up— especially now that I knew the truth about him… about us.
About who he used to be to me. About who I used to be to him.
And how I'd died on him once already.
Dinner was quiet that night. Just me, Haruka-chan, and the sound of rain hitting the windows. The Kokonoe residence still felt too big without laughter in it. We were supposed to leave soon anyway… once Nagano was rebuilt. Once everything was "fine" again.
But nothing felt fine. Not really.
Then — the air cracked.
A flash, like the static before lightning, and something in my head shattered.
And he was just there — Kokonoe-kun — dropped to one knee, blood running from his mouth. His jacket was torn, burned around the edges.
I froze. My body didn't move, but my heart— my heart just screamed.
"Kokonoe-kun!"
Haruka gasped and rushed to him first, but I was right behind her. When I touched him, his skin was burning hot — like grabbing hold of a fever. My hands were shaking so badly I almost let him slip.
He tried to speak, but all that came out was a broken breath and this half-dead smile.
"I fucked up… sorry. Oh, yeah, if I die… don't bring me back."
For a second, I didn't even understand. My brain refused to accept the words.
Don't bring me back?
It hit harder than the blood. Like he'd already decided to disappear. For a second, I didn't even understand.
Then I did.
Don't bring me back.
I'd died once already. I thought we had a second chance, and now… was he taking it away from me?
My mind blanked — And then something inside me cracked open violently, a scream caught in my chest. He was choosing it. Choosing to disappear. Choosing... to leave me again.
After everything.
After Nagano.
After the funeral.
After telling me who we had been to each other.
A second chance. A life neither of us asked for but both of us clung to—
And now he was just… letting go?
"No," I said, my voice cracking apart. "No, no— shut up! You're not dying, you're not—!"
Please. I can't lose you too… Not again. Not like this. Not when we finally found each other. I lost Aika-chan, I can't... not you too.
Haruka was crying beside me, her hands trying to wipe the blood from his face even though her fingers wouldn't stop shaking. Outside, the rain started hitting the windows harder, like the whole world was mocking us.
I tried to lift him, but he was too heavy, his weight pulling me down. My knees slammed against the floor, but I didn't let go. My chest hurt, my throat hurt — everything hurt—
And then something inside me snapped.
My hands lit up. A faint white glow, spilling between my fingers like mist. I didn't question it. I just pressed my hands against his chest, pushing the light into him.
[Amatsukaze no Nayami]
Haruka's eyes widened.
"Suzuka… your hands—"
I didn't care. I pressed harder, desperate. The light spread over his wounds, over the blood, over the torn uniform. Cuts began knitting shut. The bruises faded. His breathing steadied.
"Please… please don't die…"
For a moment, everything went silent — no rain, no breath, nothing. Just his heartbeat under my palms. Slow… but steady. Growing louder.
His eyelids fluttered. Then he looked at me with that quiet, tired smile — the one that made me love him and hate him all at once.
And the worst part was the faint look in his eyes — like he was relieved. Like he'd really been ready to go.
A tear hit his cheek before I even knew I was crying.
I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to hit him for being so calm, for scaring me like that, for even thinking about leaving us again.
For thinking he was allowed to vanish after everything we lost. After everything I lost.
After everything he once lost because of me.
But all I could do was hold him, tighter and tighter, the light still pulsing like a shared heartbeat between us.
Kokonoe let out a small groan, exhaustion pulling him under. The sad smile stayed on his lips even as his eyes closed.
Haruka knelt beside me, voice trembling. "He's alive… right?"
I nodded — but nothing came out of my mouth.
All I could think was that the first time I truly held him… was when I thought I was losing him.
My body finally gave out. I collapsed on his chest, and I cried.
Haruka-chan moved closer, fingers trembling as she pressed them against his wrist. In her shock, only two words left her lips — barely a whisper, as she found his pulse.
"He's alive…"
Tears slid down her cheeks, hot and trembling, dripping onto his jacket one by one.
"Stop worrying us so much… idiot…"
Her voice cracked on the last word.
I reached out and caught her hand, our fingers lacing together without thinking. We stayed there, the two of us holding onto him — holding onto each other — as the weight of everything finally crashed down.
Neither of us spoke again.
We just sobbed quietly, our breaths hitching in the space between heartbeats, while outside the rain kept pouring… echoing every tear we shed.